Verifying Connection
by TRF
Summary: Jakotsu and Bankotsu - two different people from two different places, connected by only one thing: the internet. Can two people who only know each other online really fall in love? BanJa AU
1. A Chance Chat

Disclaimer: Haha. Like I own Inuyasha.

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_'Hmmm…so…Renkotsu doesn't want me playing on the fancy new computer, huh?' _thought Jakotsu, smiling and leaning back in a faux leather chair. _'Well, that's too bad, isn't it? His whole lecture just increased my temptation.' _Jakotsu turned over so he could hit the 'power' button. He felt just a little bad, though it didn't come near to the amount of indignation he was feeling. Renkotsu didn't think he could handle a computer? Granted, Jakotsu was no genius, but he'd been in plenty of computer courses at school.

The computer flashed to life, and Jakotsu shook away any feelings of guilt. After all, it was Renkotsu's fault. Renkotsu, his older brother, who had no faith in him. Renkotsu, who had gone out with his friend, Ginkotsu, to buy some tool that had just come out today, and probably would never find out anyway. Yes. Jakotsu was wholly justified – in his own mind, at least.

_'Now what?' _His rebellious feeling had taken him as far as Renkotsu's desktop. Where did it go from there? An icon saying 'Internet explorer' caught his attention. Jakotsu had used the internet before, of course, but mainly just in school. At his oldhome, his oldfamily (or rather, foster family) refused to let him use it. They seemed to think it would give him dangerous ideas. Of what, he still had no clue.

Lots of people – at the oldschool AND the new one spent hours in front of it, though. His curiosity awoke. What was so interesting about the internet? All the websites they'd been on at school were boring and educational; online encyclopedias and the like. Nothing to be excited over. But maybe…was there more?

Jakotsu decided to find out.

---

"You _really _screwed up at practice today, Bankotsu," chirped a teenager with longish brown hair, addressing the boy next to him as they walked home from school. "Did you see the look on coach's face? DID you?"

The boy, Bankotsu, smacked a hand to his head and ran it down his face. "Yeah, Musou. Third time you've reminded me. But I've been sick all weekend! Am I supposed to come back full of…I dunno…life and…vigor, or what? I think I flunked the geometry test too." He stopped as he said this and blinked, as the world swam around him for a moment. Obviously, he wasn't completely well yet, and a tough after school football practice had done nothing to help.

"You ok?" asked Musou, noticing his falter.

Bankotsu shook it off. Not literally, though, as that would've made it worse. "Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? Got a cell phone the other day. I could call my dad to drive us the rest of the way home," Musou said, concerned. Then he grinned. "Dad wouldn't be happy, though. You'd owe me, big time."

"I'd rather walk home and get sick again than 'owe' you anything," muttered Bankotsu, plodding ahead.

Musou laughed, catching up and tugging Bankotsu's braid. "I'm glad you trust me so much."

"Is it surprising, considering the last time I 'owed' you, I had to give you two whole rolls of film filled with pictures of my cousin's girlfriend? That just felt _so_ wrong," said Bankotsu, shuddering.

Trying to look innocent and failing fairly badly, Musou replied, "Oh come on. Kikyou's hot."

"No. She's not," stated Bankotsu, the unusual deadpan produced from the way he was feeling at the present moment a very noticeable difference from Musou's light, cheerful voice.

"Tch. What are you, gay? I don't see why you don't see," said Musou, sounding purposefully exasperated.

Bankotsu grunted. "Let's change the subject. Thinking about Kikyou like that hurts my head."

"But you're sick. I'd think it'd hurt anyway."

"…That's not the point…"

---

"Chat room? Mmm?" Jakotsu peered intently at the screen as a list of 'chat rooms' appeared before him. "So…I could just…talk to random people?"

He blinked, and then stared at the screen a bit more. Then he realized that he had no clue when Renkotsu was coming home. If he was going to do anything, he'd better get right to it. Scrolling down the list, he saw one reading 'Sophmores!!1 Come 2 chat!!!!'. Jakotsu was a Junior this year, but what difference did it make? He didn't see one for Juniors anyway. He clicked on it.

---

"God," groaned Bankotsu, falling onto the coach when he got to his house. Twitching, he rubbed his stomach. It felt like hell. He realized that it wouldn't get better unless he got up and took some of the pills his cousin, a doctor, had given him, but he shuddered to think of the pain that would bring.

As he lay there for a minute and pondered the pros and cons of the situation, he came to another conclusion. "This is pathetic." With that, he forced himself up and stumbled over to the medicine cabinet.

Upon downing the pills with a glass of water, he began a slow walk back to the couch. On the way, though, he tripped over something. "Ah, damnit!" he cursed, alternatively rubbing his feet and his stomach. Looking down to see what he'd tripped over, he found it was a laptop, half covered by newspapers, books, and another assorted junk.

Closer inspection revealed that it was his laptop – the one his parents had bought him for his birthday several months ago, saying that they hoped it would help him on his way to become a 'respectable young businessman'. Keh. That was the last thing Bankotsu wanted to do with his life – but it was all _they_ wanted him to do with it. His parents were executives working for a Japanese company called Tomodo Enterprises. It was a job that left them little time for a family; Bankotsu strongly suspected that he'd been an 'oops' baby.

And here they were out of town for another month or so again. Probably didn't know he was sick. Probably didn't care. Bankotsu shrugged away any feelings of loneliness. He'd spent practically his entire life taking care of himself. His parents were bigger strangers to him than the teachers at school.

Bankotsu picked up the laptop and lay down on the couch with it propped on his chest. He wasn't quite sure why. Maybe he wanted to use the laptop for something they wouldn't approve of, even though chances were they'd never find out – something like a chat room. Bankotsu grinned. That was exactly what he'd do. And while he was at it, maybe later, once the pills kicked in, he'd find an appropriate way to mutilate those papers that had been covering it. They happened to be the only other thing he'd gotten for a his birthday that year – a subscription to The Wall Street Journal. Nothing important.

---

"This is boring…" Jakotsu sighed as he watched the conversation in the chat room go on. He'd said 'hi', one or two people had said it back, and he was promptly ignored. Some parts of the conversation itself were entirely foreign to him. What in the world did 'LOL' mean? 'XD'? 'BRB'? Insane.

---

Bankotsu was no great shakes at spelling and grammar, but he felt perfectly safe in saying that there was no way a few of the people on the chat room he was currently in could've really hit the double digits yet. If the person typing _'im a iscaypee frm the mentil plase!!!1!'_ was really sixteen, as she claimed, the world was a sad place indeed.

He raised an eyebrow as the afore-mentioned person began rambling about '_tha voysis in mah hed!!!!' _and began to scroll down a sidebar listing all the people in the room. One caught his eye. Jakotsu. Weird – he'd never before seen anyone with the same name ending as him, especially not in this country. 'Bankotsu' was Japanese.

_'I should send him a private message,' _Bankotsu thought. It wasn't as though anyone else in the room were paying him mind, and they didn't seem to be paying this 'Jakotsu' any either. Every once and a while, Bankotsu noticed as he scrolled up the conversation, he'd interject a comment only to be ignored.

Bankotsu clicked twice on the name and a new window came up. It suddenly occurred to him how odd this was going to sound – 'Oh hey, I noticed our names ended the same way, so let's have a conversation!'. Yeah, sure. But it was the internet; he could do whatever he wanted here and it wouldn't matter…right? 'Yo' he typed, then hit 'send'.

Not a minute afterward, the word 'Hi!' appeared right below what he'd typed.

---

MSN Chat Log – 09.17.04 – 3:50 P.M. GST

bankotsu: Yo

jakotsu: Hi!

bankotsu: So…uh…how are you?

jakotsu: Do I know you?

bankotsu: Well, not really…

jakotsu: Oh, ok.

_Last message received at 4:01 P.M._

---

_'This feels different,' _thought Jakotsu, raising an eyebrow after sending his latest message. Talking to someone you couldn't really see, couldn't even hear…it was just different. But Jakotsu liked different. He grinned eagerly, awaiting this 'Bankotsu' person's response.

He also found himself wondering how cute Bankotsu was, or if he was even around the same age as him (Well, Jakotsu assumed Bankotsu was a 'he' anyway). Not being able to know, and pass an immediate judgement on him further increased the alien feel of this whole online chatting thing.

But still, excitement and curiosity pumping a sort of adrenaline through his veins, Jakotsu couldn't deny that he already enjoyed it very much.

---

Hardly any time in and the conversation had already come to halt. Bankotsu cursed himself. He wasn't usually the type to be short on words. And how come he cared about keeping the conversation going anyway? Shrugging, he sighed and wondered what he should say next.

As it turned out, he didn't have to.

---

MSN Chat Log – 9.17.04 – 4:05 P.M.

jakotsu: Hehe. I never thought I'd see anyone else who had a name that ended in –kotsu other than my older brother.

bankotsu: Yeah. My parents work for a Japanese company. They're suck-ups, so I got stuck with a name no one in this country can pronounce.

jakotsu: I think my parents were actually Japanese.

bankotsu: Think?

jakotsu: They died when I was 7.

bankotsu: Oh.

bankotsu: …Sorry. About that.

jakotsu: I hardly remember them. Doesn't matter to me.

bankotsu: Mine are always out of town for that company. They've never done much for me.

jakotsu: Live alone a big, fancy mansion, wander around in tuxedos and chew over the deeper meaning of everything, with a glass of wine in one hand like those poor, ignored rich guys on TV, Bankotsu?

bankotsu: I prefer sake, thank you very much.

jakotsu: Only the best?

bankotsu: You got it.

_Last message received at 4:10 P.M._

---

Bankotsu smirked as he sent _that_. The awkwardness that had plagued the first few lines of the conversation seemed to have all but dissipated with a few brief words. In the months, the years to come, Bankotsu would realize that the first part of online conversations were easily the most tense a good majority of the time. But right now, it was a whole new experience.

A sudden, sharp blitz of pain from his stomach suddenly flew through him. It took a moment for Bankotsu to remember that he was sick; the feeling seemed to have all but migrated to the back of his mind the minute he'd begun this conversation.

---

Their banter continued for about fifteen more minutes. Jakotsu, relaxed though he'd been in the first place, found himself growing even more at ease with Bankotsu. If there were more people like this on the internet, he could easily see why his classmates would want to spend hours on it – he certainly believed he could spend a few more talking to Bankotsu.

The conversation was going faster now too, he noticed. In the beginning, there'd been anywhere from thirty seconds to several minutes between the replies, and now both of them were typing and hitting 'send' like wildfire.

Jakotsu was tempted, just a tiny bit tempted, to ask for a picture of Bankotsu. What could he say? He _did _love pretty boys, and if Bankotsu was such, it only gave him more reason to keep talking. Somehow, though, he sensed that this was a very inappropriate thing to do during your first conversation with someone. Reluctantly, he held the question in.

That was when he heard the click of the front door's lock coming open. Renkotsu was home. Uh-oh.

---

MSN Chat Log – 9.17.04 – 4:27 P.M.

jakotsu: I have to get off.

bankotsu: Why?

jakotsu: My brother's home. I'm not supposed to use the computer, actually.

bankotsu: Would he tell whoever's taking care of you guys about it?

jakotsu: He IS my guardian. Haha…I'm going to get the grounding from hell if he sees this.

bankotsu: Oh. Do you have an e-mail address?

jakotsu: No.

bankotsu: When you can use the computer next, get one. Then e-mail me.

jakotsu: Ok.

_jakotsu signed off at 4:30 P.M._

---

Bankotsu shook his head as he turned off the laptop. Why was he so keen to talk to this guy again? How come he didn't just say 'Ok, bye' and let him leave like a regular person? Why all the badgering? He didn't quite understand, and probably never would, what had possessed him at that moment. Ah well, it was done now. He just had to wait for that e-mail.

It was not until he turned over to try and take a nap that Bankotsu realized he'd forgotten one key thing – his actual e-mail address.

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Bwa. 'Tis finished. I want a beta. Or several.

Uh, right. Never mind that, this is supposed to be about the fic. ;;

Anyway, just in case anyone was wondering why Bankotsu has an e-mail despite obviously not touching the internet much, it was one his parents set up for him, hosted by their company, Tomodo Enterprises. He never checks it, because all he gets are weekly/monthly newsletters from various associations for those aspiring to become businessmen. ;;


	2. Relating to Relations

Thanks for the reviews, everyone:D Hopefully, chapter two doesn't disappoint.

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, why would I be writing English fanfics?

_'How could I have not given him THAT!' _Bankotsu mentally slapped himself. He couldn't have forgotten a more obvious thing if he'd been unable to recall his age whilst staring at his birth certificate.

Bankotsu sighed; nothing he could do now. The conversation had ended in the first place because Jakotsu had to go. He'd get on tomorrow. Maybe, just maybe, Jakotsu would be back. Bankotsu closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

Jakotsu barely made it off before Renkotsu came walking into the room. He also managed to scramble over to a nearby bookshelf and make it look like he was deeply engrossed in looking for some particular title.

Renkotsu stood in the doorway for several moments, waiting for some form of acknowledgement from his younger brother. When none came, he cleared his throat.

Jakotsu put on his best look of surprise. "Renkotsu! When did you get back?" he asked, hoping he sounded innocent.

"Just now. What are you doing?" said Renkotsu bluntly, suspicion clear in his eyes.

"Eh…just looking for some textbook that could help me with my…report. For school. You know, since I can't get on your baby over there and look it up." Jakotsu gestured to the computer and smirked.

Though this nickname for his computer annoyed him quite a lot, Renkotsu overlooked it. He was sure he had Jakotsu right where he wanted him – he'd been doing _something _he wasn't supposed to and was covering it up with the phony report story, Renkotsu was sure. So, applying a bit of his own acting to sound genuinely concerned with Jakotsu's schoolwork, he asked, "What's this report about? Want me to help you look?"

Jakotsu's heart beat slightly faster. Renkotsu was clever, he'd give him that – but Jakotsu wasn't in the mood to be grounded. "Well, you know, I think I've got everything I need." He picked up several books that hadn't fit on the shelf. "Thanks anyway, brother!" With that, he slunk out quickly.

Renkotsu clenched his mouth shut to suppress a groan (undignified sound that it was, as far as he was concerned). Almost. But Jakotsu wasn't the sort of person who learned from such a near miss – he made the same mistakes over and over again. He was sure he'd eventually catch his younger brother in whatever act he'd been partaking in.

Jakotsu shut his door behind him quickly, and nearly collapsed behind it as he let out a sigh of relief. He looked at the books in his hands; none of them were remotely similar to each other. However, Renkotsu needn't ever discover that.

He wondered when his brother would be out next. Perhaps he could persuade him to go out for a drink tomorrow with whatever crowd he hung around? That was what most guys his brother's age did on a Friday night. But then, the twenty-two-year-old was very obviously not 'most guys'; he'd probably sooner be aroused by his computer than a fellow human being, for one thing. For another, Renkotsu hated ninety-nine percent of the population. As far as Jakotsu knew, Renkotsu was of the opinion that the more he could avoid the masses, the better.

Moving over to lay down on his bed, Jakotsu opted to think of something else. He rolled over to the side and placed his hand under the mattress, feeling around until his fingers touched slick, thin paper. Triumphantly, he pulled it out.

'It' was a magazine. A rather naughty magazine, to be more precise, which Renkotsu would've confiscated if he'd known of its existence. Jakotsu had picked it up at the airport terminal when he'd first flown into this city, having been very bored at the time, and then hastily stuffed it into his bag as the brother he hadn't seen in nearly ten years came into view.

_'Ha…you'd think I'd learn,' _thought Jakotsu, smiling, _'This particular kind of reading is what got me into trouble in the first place back…back at my last home. Scars to prove it and everything.' _Strangely, he felt no bitterness at such a thought. Ever since his parents' death, Jakotsu had come to the conclusion that whatever life threw at you, laughing about it was the best course.

_Don't take anything seriously. _

_Don't even give it a chance to get to you._

_Life is just one big game; no one in their right mind gets upset over a game_.

That was his mantra.

Several hours later, a knock at the door woke Bankotsu from blissful, relatively pain-free slumber. He staggered up and opened the door, not even bothering to look out a window and see who it was. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the teen knew his parents would've been about to lay down a lecture if they could've seen it. _'Don't you ever open the door unless you know who it is,' _Bankotsu's brain mimicked, in whiny, high-pitched tones. That was one of the principle rules he'd been raised on. His parents seemed to be under the misapprehension that there were people waiting to assassinate mediocre (yet strangely high-paid) employees for a mediocre overseas business under every rock.

The kind face of his cousin, Suikotsu, came face to face with him. His parents worked for Tomodo Enterprises as well – but they, at least, hadn't expected him to work the same profession as them when he got older. On the other hand, he'd chosen to be a doctor, and they were relatively well off. _'Everything's about money in the end,' _he thought dully.

"Bankotsu…you're still not well are you?" asked Suikotsu, appearing so concerned that if he didn't always look like that when discussing ill health, Bankotsu would've taken it for a comic exaggeration.

In no mood to be pleasant, Bankotsu replied, "No, I'm feeling like going out and skipping in the sunshine." Pause. "What do you think?"

"Have you been taking the medicine I gave you?" said Suikotsu.

"Religiously."

Suikotsu frowned. Then he cast his gaze downward and saw Bankotsu's shoes. They were almost caked in mud from the laces down; not all the mud appeared to have dried either. "You went to school, didn't you?"

Bankotsu groaned.

"I thought I told you that you shouldn't."

"We had football practice! The coach threatened to kick anyone who wasn't there off the team!" he protested. "And he doesn't like me much as it is."

"Why not?" Typical Suikotsu, Bankotsu thought. Hopping from one concern to another, with equal worry for each.

"He says I'm a cheeky, arrogant _runt_," muttered Bankotsu. "I guess it's okay to be cheeky and arrogant if you're big, though, because he just slaps guys like that on the back and chuckles. Bastard."

"Maybe I should – "

"DON'T interfere," Bankotsu interrupted. "I finish my own fights, okay?"

Looking, in Bankotsu's opinion, like a statue of a tragic martyr, Suikotsu nodded. "All right. But Bankotsu…don't stress yourself out, okay? I know you're stubborn about a lot of things, but please don't be stubborn about this." He tapped his head and smiled. "Doctor knows best."

"Well, one thing I can say for Doctor is that he knows better than mom and dad, at any rate," said Bankotsu, a touch of bitterness in his voice.

Um…short chapter. Oo Mostly because its main purpose is to introduce Suikotsu and Renkotsu. Other than that it's just 'transitional' chapter more than anything. And it also seems slightly off to me, so I'm hesitant to post it. XD

Oh, and sorry for the wait! Be warned, though, there maybe more like it. I'm working on something else at the moment, and am just plain lazy to boot. XP


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